For my Twitter followers, this will not come as a big surprise, but I am proud to say that I am supporting Ohio Gov. John Kasich for the Republican nomination for President.  I encourage my fellow GOP Michiganders to cast their votes for Gov. Kasich in our primary on Tuesday, March 8.

In debate after debate and town hall after town hall, Gov. Kasich has shown that he is the adult in the race for the Presidency and that he is more concerned about uniting and governing our country than he is in scoring political points or attacking his opponents.

The fact that some on the far right attack Kasich for being too “moderate” says much more about where our party has gone than what the Governor has done.  As he has correctly said many times, Ronald Reagan would have difficulty winning a GOP primary in this current environment.

Like Reagan, Kasich has a proven track record as a conservative governor of a large state. Under Gov. Kasich’s leadership, Ohio has been a leader in job creation and fiscal responsibility, cutting taxes by $5 billion while turning a $8 billion shortfall into a $2 billion surplus during his time as governor.

Also like Reagan, Kasich is more concerned about getting things done than vilifying his opponents.  Unlike almost every other candidate, Gov. Kasich has followed Reagan’s 11th commandment – “Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican.”

Just as Reagan worked with Tip O’Neill for the greater good, Kasich doesn’t see reaching across the aisle to work on policies that benefit the American people as making one a RINO.  He is more concerned about the label American than the labels Republican or Democrat.

Gov. Kasich is also more concerned about the future of this country than he is in pleasing the left or right wing talking heads that drive so much of the debate in this country.

Though many see experience in Congress as a negative these days, Kasich worked to get things done – as chairman of the House Budget Committee, he led the effort to balance the federal budget for the first time in a generation and he also served 18 years on the House Armed Services Committee.

Gov. Kasich wasn’t a backbencher who complained about what the leaders in his party were doing – he was a leader.

It is a sad day indeed when a GOP candidate is criticized for using a reasonable tone, being respectful of all opinions and being open to working with Democrats when it is good for our country.  Gov. Kasich sees things through a lens of what is good for the US, not just the GOP (though usually the two converge).

The death of Justice Antonin Scalia should make it crystal clear the stakes of this election – we need a President who will appoint justices who will base decisions on the Constitution and the law, rather than social engineering.

To do this, we need a GOP nominee who can unite, rather than divide.  We need a nominee who has a track record of leadership and accomplishment.  We need a candidate who can win Ohio (like Gov. Kasich did with 64% of the vote and winning 84 of 86 Ohio counties in 2014).

The people who know him best elected him in a landslide.  I respect Gov. Kasich as a proven and electable leader – someone who I will be proud to have on the top of our GOP ticket in 2016, and as our President in 2017.